Chief complaint

My colleague, Dr. L., says she's studying for her neurology boards, and was taking a practice test last weekend.

This question was on it, and she says she's never had a patient report answer E to her.

I'd have to agree. At least not without a Ouija board.

Thank you, Dr. L!

Thanks, Sherlock

A drug rep marketing an epilepsy medication brought lunch in for Pissy and I, so we were having the usual 30 minutes of catered sandwiches and pamphlets full of glossy pictures, graphs, and small print.

As we talked, she mentioned that, as part of her new-hire training, she was sent to volunteer at Camp Shaking Pines this past summer. This is a summer camp held for children with epilepsy who, for medical reasons, can't go to other camps. The purpose of her 3 days there was to "raise my awareness" of epilepsy.

Then she said "Doctor, do you know that some of those kids, the ones with seizures, will actually have seizures, right there, at seizure camp?"

I heard a thud behind me as Pissy's hand hit his face.

Breaking news!

From around the globe, Dr. Grumpy's crack team of reporters bring you the stories that shape your world.

DATELINE: LONDON

British police have apologized after what they previously described as a "huge drugs bust" turned out to be vegan cake mix.

Staff of Purezza, a vegan restaurant, were transporting a large amount of vegan cake mix in a suitcase when it was confiscated at Gatwick airport by transportation police.

After identifying the powder as cake mix, the bags were returned to the restaurant. The staff has offered the police free cake, though at press time the police haven't accepted.



DATELINE: NEW JERSEY

An 80 year-old woman had her vehicle stolen. While she was asleep in it.

Police say the lady had dozed off after parking her car, and when she woke found herself lying in the driveway. She had no recollection of being taken out of the car.

The car has since been recovered.



DATELINE: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

No one was injured when a bear landed on a police car.

In an unusual chain of events, a Humboldt county sheriff's deputy was driving on Route 96 when a bear fell off a steep embankment and landed on his patrol car. The hood and windshield were smashed.

The surprised officer lost control of his bearmobile, which slammed into the embankment, rolled onto its side, and burst into flames.

This resulted in a small forest fire, that burned about half an acre.

The officer was unharmed.

The bear fled the scene, and was not available for comment.

Uh...

Today's post is dedicated to the marketing genius at Boehringer-Ingelheim pharmaceuticals who came up with this name for their veterinary portal:

Good luck on your job search.

Thank you, Webhill!

Free samples

Mr. Dixie: "Hey, doc, do you need to check levels on my seizure medication today?"

Dr. Grumpy: "No, I don't."

Mr. Dixie: "You sure? Like, need a urine sample?"

Dr. Grumpy: "No, and it would be blood, anyway."

Mr. Dixie: "Oh... Well, I thought you might, so I left a cup full of piss out in your lobby bathroom, just in case. It has my name on it."

Dr. Grumpy: "Um, we don't have sample cups out in the lobby bathroom?"

Mr. Dixie: "I know. I took it off your water cooler."

Big Donor

Dr. Grumpy: "How you doing today?"

Mr. Big Donor: "I'm tired. You wouldn't believe what happened to my daughter's husband last night."

Dr. Grumpy: "He okay?"

Mr. Big Donor: "My son-in-law, Todd, was hanging up some pictures last night and accidentally hammered his thumb. It was really killing him. Maybe he broke it. He ended up having to go to ER."

Dr. Grumpy: "Ouch. That must have hurt."

Mr. Big Donor. "So he finally went there around midnight, and they left him sitting in the lobby. He said they kept bringing all these people from ambulances in ahead of him, and this one lady who had something stupid, like chest pain, got taken right back."

Dr. Grumpy: "  "

Mr. Big Donor: "So he finally called me when he remembered I'm on the hospital foundation's board. I was so angry. I called Dr. Brown... you know him? He's CEO over there? I have his home number and woke him up and told him about this bullshit they were doing to Todd. He took care of it, and they got Todd back in the next 5 minutes. But it's such crap that I even had to do that. I mean, I'm not a doctor, but even I know how a health care system should work. But the dimwits in ER have no clue."